Goalie Henrik Lundqvist cannot save Rangers in the end against Kings

Henrik Lundqvist, Anton Stralman, Anze Kopitar

Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist makes a save on a shot by Kings center Anze Kopitar, top right, as Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman looks on during the third period of the Kings' 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final.

New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist makes a save on a shot by Kings center Anze Kopitar, top right, as Rangers defenseman Anton Stralman looks on during the third period of the Kings' 3-2 overtime win in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

That overtime goal did more than give the Kings a 3-2 victory in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. In the blink of an eye, it undid all of Lundqvist's best efforts over the course of 60-plus minutes.

"It's disappointing when you lose," he said. "Especially when it's that close."

The 32-year-old Swede carries a lot of weight on his shoulders in this series.

This is a man with an Olympic gold medal and a Vezina Trophy on his resume. Most experts figure that if Rangers are to upset the widely favored Kings, their elite goalie will have to carry them.

Whereas his counterpart — Jonathan Quick — likes to scramble around the crease and come out from the net to challenge shooters, the 6-foot-1, 188-pound Lundqvist is more likely to stay at home.

On Wednesday night, he talked about the importance of limiting opportunities against the Kings.

"They try to create something from the corners and from coming down the wing," he said. "Making sure to put rebounds in the right place is going to be key."

For much of the evening, Lundqvist did exactly that. As his team streaked to a 2-0 lead, he deflected shots into the corners and dived on loose pucks.

But he wasn't perfect. Kyle Clifford beat him on a sharp angle near the end of the first period and Drew Doughty — finding room in the slot — put a wrister past him to tie the game at 2-2 in the second.

"He had so much time," Lundqvist said of Doughty's goal. "I felt like I was patient and then I still made the first move."

If that was a mistake, the goalie responded in the third period. With his team managing only a few offensive chances, he faced continuous pressure and kept 20 shots out of the net to send the game into overtime.

"Doing what he does," Rangers defenseman Kevin Klein said. "Giving us a chance to win the hockey game."

The last shot came at 4:36 in overtime, a turnover in the defensive zone leaving Lundqvist only a split-second to react. Not quite long enough.

Standing in front of his locker afterward, he forced a thin smile and talked about the game being "pretty fun … a lot of action at both ends."

New York Rangers star goalie Henrik Lundqvist will be backed up Wednesday in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Kings by a 31-year-old who hasn’t played in the NHL since the 2010-11 season, Rangers Coach Alain Vigneault said.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, conducting his annual state of the league news conference hours before the start of the Stanley Cup Final, declared this season a rousing success based on record attendance and television viewership on NBC, healthy competitive balance, and the success of the six...